Telegraph – 100 The charm, inventiveness and knowing nods to Mario heritage bring constant smiles, and it’s not only a superb Mario game but a fantastic advert for the hardware it appears on. A perfect starting point for newcomers to the series, or a nostalgic throwback for Mario die-hards that still manages to be incredibly contemporary. Whichever category you fall into, one thing’s for sure; handheld platforming simply does not get better than this.

Modojo – 100 Is it more imaginative than Super Mario Galaxy? No. Will it revolutionize gaming like Super Mario 64. Hardly. Do either of these questions matter? Absolutely not, and don’t let anyone prove otherwise. Super Mario 3D Land is the epitome of fun. Most importantly, it’s a shining example of everything that’s good and wholesome about video games.

Gaming Age – 100 I’m literally floored by how much I enjoyed it, and I find it quickly rising in the ranks as one of my favorite Super Mario titles.

GamePro – 100 The tired, princess-saving formula never seems to change, but somehow Nintendo makes every visit to the Mushroom Kingdom feel like the first time.

IGN – 95 With an expertly balanced difficulty progression, dazzling level design and masterful Power-Ups, this is the ideal 3DS experience…As a whole, 3D Land is brilliant and addictive, and should do for 3D-enhanced platforming what the original Super Mario Bros. did for 2D platforming. If you own a 3DS system, you have no choice – you simply must own this game.

Game Informer – 95 Super Mario 3D Land isn’t perfect, but the few complaints I have (like the lack of variety in boss fights and some re-hashed levels) can’t bring down this entertaining mix of nostalgia and innovation. ?It lives up to the level of quality set by previous entries and is easily the best reason to own a 3DS.

Digital Chumps – 94 Super Mario 3D Land proves that there is still an innovative direction that platforming can take even after the constant innovation seen throughout the history of Mario. This game may not be as creative as Galaxy (really what is?) but the different camera perspectives and depth based gameplay, along with all sorts of platforming styles meshed into one game make for a worthy Mario title for the 3DS.

GameTrailers – 92 Super Mario 3D Land proves that gaming’s most enduring mascot is also its most adaptable.

The Escapist – 90 Super Mario 3D Land is a great platformer with lots of gameplay and fantastic visuals, slightly overshadowed by some awkward camera issues.

Computer and Video Games – 90 Conflicted throughout, but still an undeniable 3DS achievement. Wait for it to get its act together and the game soars. Well, flutters.

Videogameszone.de – 90 Super Mario 3D Land is indeed a wonderful debut on Nintendo 3DS. The 3D effect is fine and helpful because of some camera issues. Mario fans will love this new experience because of the very cool retro elements.

Eurogamer – 90 You could wish for 3D Land to be a little more challenging in places, then, but you couldn’t wish for it to be any denser, any more imaginative, or any more daring. Most importantly, you couldn’t wish for it to be any more playful.

VideoGamer – 90 A step back and a leap forward. As a gateway drug for those reluctant to embrace Mario in three dimensions, Super Mario 3D Land should be a huge success.

Games Radar (in-house) – 90 Though it falls slightly short compared to other Mario titles (aka some of the greatest games ever made), it’s certainly a release worthy of the character’s legacy. It expertly builds on franchise history, has tons of clever ideas, and even with the rare control hang-ups, it stands tall in the realm of 3D platformers, especially compared to the paltry library of games the 3DS currently has.

Wired – 90 3D Land is a grabby borrower of a game – enemies from Mario 3, music from 2006’s New Super Mario Bros., gameplay from Galaxy. Eventually it starts borrowing from itself. It’s an excellent game because all of these things work so well together; the only thing keeping it from perfection is that it cries out for more innovations to call its own.

Joystiq – 90 And while it takes a while to build up, and lacks the rich variety of secrets you know from games like Mario 3 and Super Mario World, Super Mario 3D Land eventually becomes a demandingly hardcore, addictive platformer. It’s also easily the most beautiful game on the 3DS, and one of the best-looking Mario games.

Nintendo Life – 90 It’s impossible not to be impressed by the vast number of classic Super Mario elements that have been squeezed into the package, especially given how fresh they all look and feel in their new 3D presentation. If you’ve been looking for a reason to pick up a 3DS, you’ve just found it.

Nintendo Power – 90 Really though, Super Mario 3D Land is a triple-A title, and as good a reason as you’ll ever have for picking up a Nintendo 3DS if you haven’t already. [Nov 2011, p.70]

Destructoid – 85 3D Land is a game in which Nintendo shows other developers how they’ve been doing it wrong since the 3DS launched, and provides a template from which future games ought to be built.

XGN – 85 The excellent platforming and the 3D images ensure a creative mixture between the old and new Mario. Maybe a less agile Mario than we’re used to, but that has it’s charm in some ways. Thanks to the extremely varied environments and the succesful usage of 3D, Super Mario 3D Land is by far the best Mario game for the 3DS.

Cheat Code Central – 84 The levels are incredibly fun to play, but there are omissions likely to leave Mario fans shaking their heads.

1UP – 83 Super Mario 3D Land’s playful reverence for (and references to) the 8-bit days reminds us that Super Mario Bros. 3 truly was an amazing game, but it does so at the expense of its own identity. I have a hard time imagining that, 20 years from now, Nintendo’s designers will be looking back at 3D Land as a template for a new game the way 3D Land builds on Mario 3’s iconography. Ultimately, that’s the difference between a good Mario game and a great one.

Cubed3 – 80 Super Mario 3D Land excels in so many areas, picking up the traditional 2D side-scrolling feel of the classic NES and SNES platform outings, whilst sprinkling in a pleasing dose of the 3D charm that made Super Mario Galaxy 2 so special.

games(TM) – 80 What Super Mario 3D Land does get right is what every Mario game gets right: a high benchmark for quality that virtually no other platform game series seems capable of matching. There’s a level of humour, invention and a sheer sense of joy that you only find in a Mario game.

Edge Magazine – 80 It homes in, with a clockmaker’s precision and a playful gleam in its eye, on what Mario does best.

Metro GameCentral – 80 Exactly what the 3DS needed to reenergize its fortunes and restate its purpose, and even if it’s not as good as Galaxy it’s still the best portable Mario since the Game Boy.

GameSpot – 80 Super Mario 3D Land eases you in with creative level design and tight controls while leaving plenty of challenging content to be discovered.